Sword and Compass
by Grimm48
Summary: A twist of the original story of how Nami and Zoro fall in love, starting at Arlong Arc.


Zoro x Nami

Diclaimer: I don't own anything from One Piece

Summary: A twist of the original story of how Zoro and Nami fall in love, starting at Arlong Arc.

* * *

"30seconds that's all I have left." Zoro tells Sanji, barely being able to stand, let alone hold his wado-ichi-monji or Johnny and Josaku's swords. Sanji immediately jumps back into the water to free Luffy's legs from their stone confinement.  
"Zoro-bro!" The two bounty hunters yell out impressed and Nami gasps relieved that they still seem to have a chance despite both Sanji and Zoro getting pummled by Arlong just a few seconds ago.  
"Hah you really think you can stop me from getting in the water? Even if you were a hundred percent you wouldn't stand a chance." Arlong says cockily.  
"You know, ever since I saw your sharkface I just wanted to get me a piece of that nose." Zoro says and slashes at Arlong's nose, which doesn't even get a scratch.  
"You're getting on my nerves." Arlong growls while Hachi wakes up behind him.  
"Ah unforgiveable Zoro, you didn't let me show you the full extent of my cool 6 sword style." Hachi complains.  
"Hachi go finish off that little miscreant who jumped into the pool." Arlong says and Hachi immediately jumps into the pool, going after Sanji.  
Zoro looks at the Octopus man for a second and Arlong uses the chance to strike. He shoves Zoro's sword away and leaps forward, piercing Zoro in the shoulder, just above Mihawk's wound with his nose.  
The crowd consisting of the Cocoyashi village cries out in worry.  
"I told you it's futile. Now let's see why you have all those bandages." Arlong says ripping of the pieces of cloth from Zoro as he is dangling him in the air and reveals the reopened wound going across Zoro's torso which is dripping with blood and starts to pool underneath him while some even spurts onto Arlong's face.  
'How can he still be standing? Let alone fighting?' Arlong asks himself and readies himself to finish off the swordsman.  
Everyone in the crowd is utterly shocked or disgusted at the sight.  
Nami is faring the worst, because Zoro is going through all of this for her and because she punched him in the stomach, right on his wound the other day, she still can see the small bruise going over his gash.  
Nami is in tears, putting her hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying out loudly.  
Suddenly a yell of "I'm back!" Breaks the tension and Luffy can be seen flying over their heads after he was rescued by Sanji, Nojiko and Genzo.  
"You're too late." Zoro mumbles with a groan before Luffy grasps his shoulders and throws him high in the air, making him land just outside of Arlong park with an enormous splash.  
Nami immediately takes off in his direction, receiving confused looks from the villagers and a thumbs up by the bounty hunter duo.  
A few seconds later Nami jumps into the ocean just outside of Arlong Park and sees a lifeless Zoro drifting in the water with his head almost completely submerged.  
With some struggling Nami manages to pull the muscular swordsman on the cliffs in front of Arlong Park.  
"Zoro, Zoro get up!" She yells desperate to receive a sign of life from her comrade.  
When she gets no reply she rears back her hand and slaps him across the face with all her might to get a sign of life from him, but he doesn't react.  
"Zoro, don't die on me." Nami says fearful and starts to press on Zoro's chest to give him cpr.  
During her compressions her hand slips because they are still soaked in the ocean water and she presses on the huge wound mihawk gave him.

"Aghh."Zoro groans loud and shoots upright in pain.

"You're alive." Nami says relieved.  
"Of course I am." Zoro grumbles and lies down, nearly unconscious by the loss of blood.  
"I better see how Luffy's faring against Arlong." Nami says realizing that the fight isn't over yet.  
"Should I send Johnny to get you?" Nami asks Zoro but the only reply she gets is his light snoring.  
As Nami gets up to watch Luffy's fight Zoro suddenly squirms in his sleep and mumbles "Nami don't leave me alone with those idiots."  
Nami has to fight back a grin and goes back to the crowd watching Luffy fight Arlong.

* * *

|one day later - Cocoyashi village|  
After the defeat of Arlong the whole village was celebrating the end of Arlong's reign of terror, in honor of their freedom they are preparing a huge banquet to be held starting that night.  
While most of the villagers are preparing for the banquet, something Sanji is more than happy to help out with, in the doctor's office a bandaged up Luffy is sitting on a chair, overlooking Zoro's treatment with Nami standing by his side watching the doctor stitch up the wounded swordsman with worry due to Zoro screaming in pain for the first time she met him. He didn't even flinch when he sliced open half of his stomach in their fight against Buggy and his men and now he's howling like a wolf.  
"What happened to him?" Nami asks her captain.  
"Oh he got to fight Hawkeye, the strongest swordsman and his goal but Hawkeye was stronger, but it's OK Zoro promised never to lose a fight again." Luffy explains without an ounce of worry in his voice.

"If he even survives this. The wound is infected and from my guess reopened at least three times." The doctor tells them, making Nami flinch guiltily, because she most likely was the cause for one of those times.  
"Just sow me up already so I can get my sleep." Zoro wheezes.  
The doctor finishes Zoro's treatment and lets him sleep on an empty bed in his clinic.  
Luffy left to get a head start for the banquet, leaving Nami and the doctor alone with Zoro.  
Nami is the next one to get treated and lies topless on the stretcher face down.  
"You have some good friends there." The doctor tells Nami, treating her shoulder and hand wound.  
"I know." Nami says with a big smile as she looks over to the quietly snoring Zoro.  
"You know this will leave a scar, right?" The doctor tells her.  
"Yeah I know, I want you to give me this tattoo." Nami tells him, handing him a piece of paper where she drew a symbol, looking like a cross of a pinwheel and a tangerine.

* * *

|two days later|  
The three nights long party is coming to an end.  
The last two days were spend celebrating, dancing, eating and drinking.  
Nami is sitting at Bellemere's grave saying goodbye to her deceased adoptive mother, having already packed her belongings and left the treasures she acquired for the villagers.  
Genzo walks up to her, telling her that her mother wouldn't approve of her becoming a pirate but would be proud of who she became non the less.  
Luffy stumbles upon the two, looking for melon and Genzo makes him promise to take care of Nami.  
After Nami spend some more time at her mother's grave she goes back into town, intending to end the party with a big bang.  
As she's walking through the main street, headed for where Ussop is spreading lies to everyone from a tower she comes across a familiar green haired man sitting in a secluded spot, drinking by himself.  
"What's with that sour expression, you guys saved an entire island from tyranny." Nami tells him cheerfully, sitting down next to him.  
"None of your business, you've achieved your goal so you can stay here and rot for all I care."  
Zoro tells her trying to mask his hurt with anger.  
"Who said I'm going to do that?" Nami asks.  
"So you'll stay with us? Good." Zoro says letting out a relieved sigh.  
"Oh was the big bad Zoro worried?" Nami teases him.  
"No! I just prefer knowing where to go instead of floating around aimlessly." Zoro replies with a small blush.  
"Hah, you and knowing where you're going? That's a good one. Come on, cheer up man." Nami tells him, giving him a side hug and intentionally pushing her breasts onto his chest. Smirking at the red hue spreading over his nose and cheeks.  
"Hmpf, I still have to figure out how I'm going to get 2 more swords."  
Zoro complains grumpily.

"What exactly happened anyways? Did you seriously face Mihawk?" Nami asks questioningly.

"Yeah, but I was not ready yet. I have to get stronger, much stronger." Zoro tells her decisively.

"Well either way, I'm glad to have you aboard. I wouldn't want to be left alone with those idiots either." Nami tells him with a playful grin.

"What are you talking about?" Zoro asks, not remembering what he said in his delirium.

"Doesn't matter. But I guess I owe you an apology." Nami answers.

"What for?" Zoro asks.

"For me punching you when you were trying to save me, despite your wounded state." Nami says guiltily.

"You couldn't have known, but I think you should apologize to everyone for screwing us over and stealing the merry go." Zoro reprimands her.

"You're right, I guess I should start with you." Nami says.

"Thank you Zoro, we'd have all died without you." Nami thanks him gratefully and gives him a peck on his cheek.

"What are you playing at?" Zoro asks surprised at the affectionate act coming from the redhead.

"Nothing just showing my thanks." Nami replies innocently.

"Don't thank the lovecook like this or he'll never shut up." Zoro jokes, making Nami laugh and reply "Don't worry that was reserved just for you, after all you had to deal with my stubbornness the most and you went further than anyone else to free me and my village."

"Hah, is that so? Too bad I can't rub it under the cooks nose." Zoro laughs.


End file.
